There will be some spoilers in this review. Most of them will be from the original anime series. When it comes to any major spoilers for the 2020 film Ill keep them stowed away in the spoiler tags. DO NOT click them if you want to avoid major plot points and developments from the film. 400https://i.ibb.co/kyyksbx/covidsubmission.jpg Violet Evergarden: The Movie The original anime series of Violet Evergarden was a memorable experience. It was thoroughly compelling for many viewers judging by how well its been received since its original 2018 airing. While illustrating issues such as coping with loss the nature of love the meaning of life and selfforgiveness Violet Evergardens ability to capture the tragic experiences of daily life is almost second to none. The story is written in a way that allows for depth of character not only in its protagonist but in the rest of its cast as well. The beauty in its storytelling is demonstrated in how so many people regardless of their position in life are able to resonate with its themes. As the cool kids often say Violets story honestly just hits different. Although I did enjoy the original series quite a bit I must say that I wasnt exactly gleaming with anticipation to watch the film. Me watching it moreorless happened because I saw that it was showing at a movie theater close to me. Naturally I decided that it was far too convenient for me not to make the trip to watch it. Im glad that I made this decision. I had faith that the movie would be solid but it exceeded my expectations by a wide margin. Kyoto Animation did an outstanding job with Violet Evergarden: The Movie. It executes its job as a sequel very well its status as a theatrical motion picture does not deter its validity as a sequel in the slightest. Story The way the film opens up is beyond what I would have imagined. As the screen lights up and the movie begins there is a teenage girl sitting in the midst of a living room. Shes an unfamiliar face accompanied by her parents whose conversing provides context on what exactly is taking place. The girls maternal grandmother has just passed away. After attending her funeral the immediate family is gathered together in the living room of the deceased. There is some conflict in this scene. The young girl begins to lash into her mother about how she shouldve been there for her grandma. The daughter refuses to slow down as she hits her with another massive blow by stating that the mothers work takes priority over everything elseespecially family. Everyone begins to get emotional and the young girl continues to cut into her mothers heart and talks about how much her grandmother missed her She loved you so much Mom. As a heavyhearted mood develops within this opening scene the mother replies to her daughter: I know. She was always like that because she lost her mother at a young age. Something about the aforementioned scene is peculiar. Seeing as how Violet Evergardens life takes place some time during the late 19thearly 20th century the girl and her surroundings denote a different time entirely. The characters in this opening scene seem to be from the presentday and are most likely living in the 21st century. This is clarified when the young girls identity becomes known to the audience. Her mother calls her by name: Daisy. Daisy notices a box above her grandmothers fireplace. She opens the box to find that it is filled with numerous letters. Her mother explains that they were for Daisys grandmother Ann. Anns mother Clara hired an Auto Memory Doll to inscribe 50 letters with the intention of Ann opening one on her birthday every year after she had passed away. As Daisy presses for more information the narrative divulges into a different eraone that is more familiar to Violet Evergarden fans. When Violet shows up on screen for the first time she is standing before an ocean dictating a speech she wrote for a local oceanic ceremony in Leiden. Her speech is as eloquent as can be everyone in attendance is in complete awe of the beauty that emanates from her appearance and manner of speech. This time period of her life the moment this scene takes place is really close to where the original anime series departs during its final episode. In this respect there is solid continual congruity. https://i.ibb.co/8Bms4mn/covidleavesubmissiondetails.png Not long after the ceremony Violet makes a visit to the cemetery. She leaves a bouquet on a grave one which belongs to the mother of Gilbert the man who taught her about love. After a talk with Gilberts brother Gottfried and being told by him that she needs to move on she resolves within herself to make it known that she cannot and will never move on. No matter how long she lives shell never reach that point. Forgetting is the hardest part. Violet This is the state of affairs Violets life is in. Shes caught at a standstill continually wondering how to come to terms with her life after losing Gilbertregardless of the years that have passed since that day. The catalyst for the story one of the key plot points that helps get the films ball rolling takes place when a postal customer specifically requests Violet to come out to their address for an appointment. An atypical customer helps kindle the fire of the story. This is how Violet Evergarden: The Movie begins to unfold. Well No but Actually Yes An interesting thing about the film is that it is not necessary to have prior knowledge to enjoy it. When it comes to sequels especially ones that have stories of this caliber its basically a given that the viewer needs some context in order for there to be a fulfilling watching experience. Although I would say that watching the original Violet Evergarden series first is preferable its not vital. Honestly Violet Evergarden: The Movie will be effective with audiences regardless of how familiar people are with the original work. I thought it was cool how the film maintained a sense of independence despite being a faithful sequel that built upon the foundation of the original storyline. Throughout the movie there are two or three transitions between the Violet narrative and the Daisy narrative. The titular character is the obvious focus for the film the movie is a record of her journey of selfdiscovery as she continues to grow and learn how to conduct herself in a world that is void of the man who taught her about love. Violets various attempts to cope with her life in spite of what she has lost has the potential to be a comfort and hope to many. Characters The titular protagonist is a phenomenally written character. From day one it was as though the forces of the universe teamed up against Violet Evergarden. Orphaned from a young age left all alone she had no one to turn to. No one...that is...until she was taken in under the wing of Gilbert Bougainville an army major who was one of the first people to ever express compassion toward her. Having endured almost an entire war by her companions side the universe struck its gong again. With Gilbert being taken away from her while she became an amputee tragedy after tragedy befalls her. Violet Evergarden: The Movie illustrates Violets attempts to cope with these various misfortunes with flashbacks and nods back to her past the movie constantly begs the question of when and how shell ever be able to accept the freedom she now has after escaping the circumstances that were responsible for these fateful events. https://i.ibb.co/3RKQRmL/269sgg.jpg The way that Violets childlike innocence and genuine kindness remains intact even in the face of the disasters that have taken place in her life is mesmerizing. Whereas the original anime series deals with Violets successful attempts to break free from her selfinflicting slavemaster relationship with the deceased Gilbert i.e. her status as his weapon this movie goes above and beyond that. By the conclusion of Violet Evergarden the MC makes progress that is palpable for all of her peers. This movie properly fulfills Violets character arc in a timely manner. It demonstrates the progress she has made in terms of emotional maturity and mental fortitude. She is no longer limited to the labeled box that those from her past tried to lump her into. This story shows how much Violet has grown as a person. She truly breaks away from the tendency to base her life on what others command her to do. I am doing this because I want to.... Violet Dietfried Bougainville gets the proper day in court that he deserves. His portrayal in the original series is not a favorable one. So I was glad to see some character development in this movie even if he is a bit of a tsundere. The film did a good job at exploring the different sides of his character while also providing background on the circumstances that surrounded Dietfried and Gilberts familyspecifically how they were treated by their father growing up. Although he doesnt play a huge role in the film he plays an integral one. I appreciated his arc. Claudia Hodgins and the rest of Violets coworkers are as faithful as ever. They are an incredible support system. The film doesnt create very many opportunities for Cattelya Iris Benedict etc. to contribute to the main progression of the plot. When those chances do arise within the story though they prove to be reliable friends as they selflessly lend a helping hand to Violet in a time of need. On the other hand Hodgins gets more screen time. His and Violets familial relationship is incredibly wholesome. Its funny to see how basically all of Hodginss anxieties stem from his paternal affection for Violet. Its one of the main sources of comedic relief within the film. He genuinely cares for her and always seems to be worrying about her regardless of how capable and mature she has become. Daisy and her family play an important role in this film. Those that are familiar with the original anime series will recognize their relevance immediately once their identity becomes clear. Daisys greatgrandmother was one of the pivotal moments in Violets career as an Auto Memory Doll. Violet learned a lot from that experience it helped her to shape and prepare for what was to come later during her life. At any rate Daisys insight and perspective enrichens the story by showing the impact one life can have on another. This side plot with her struggling to accurately display her affection for her parents acts as a microcosmic depiction of the overarching story. Daisy and her familys existence within the narrative help further develop the themes of Violet Evergarden: The Movie. As I stated earlier there is a character that makes for a drastic progression with the plot. Yurith phones the post office in order to get in touch with Violet. Hes a young kid whos sick and doesnt have much time left to live. He wants her to write three letters that his mother father and brother may open after his passing. This is a nod back to the job that Violet did for Daisys greatgrandmother Clara back in the original anime series. Yurith finds interactions with others tedious as everyone around him seems to hold back and treat him a certain way due to his illness. He soon recognizes that Violet is different. Though she still maintains the same stoic approach her emotional maturity is on a completely different level. No longer being the stonecold weapon that others made her out to be as a child Violet has a better grasp upon the feelings of the human heart. The two meet each other and exchange interactions that leave a deep impression upon one another. A pinky promise between the two has more of an impact upon their lives than one would imagine. What This Movie Means to Me I honestly cried pretty hard while watching this. There are some intense scenes ones which assaulted my tear ducts with haymakers. I saw someone say that this film hits you right in the cry muscles. Thats a great and fitting way to put it. Im repeating what I stated earlier but this movie completely exceeded my expectations. I dont consider myself the most emotionally stable person but this movie wrecked me. Although so many stories take similar creative liberties in terms of developing similar themes Violet Evergarden: The Movie hit way harder than most. If I were to attempt to capture the films thesis Id say that its a cliche: Carpe Diem. In laymans terms the story communicates a message of grabbing hold of the opportunities that we have in our lives. Although it is a cliche its a cliche done right. This movie extends beyond the onedimensional facades and shows us that regardless of who we are or where we come from we are all victims in some way. Each and every one of us has a past but that does not mean we are not entitled to a future. We do not get to decide how others feel about us we do not have the right to close ourselves off from those who love us regardless of the circumstances. No man is an island... If there is anything to be learned from this movie its that we must use our time wisely and express our feelings while we still have the ability to do so. Quality The quality of the sound and picture for Violet Evergarden: The Movie was insane. I dont consider myself the best judge when it comes to matters like this mostly because I have very little idea about the logistics of animation. Id call myself a caveman when it comes to matters like this. My conviction is something like if it looks good it looks good And trust me this movie looks damn good. There were some stellar landscape shots throughout the course of the film. Two scenes come to mind when I think about it: one at the beginning and one at the end. Both of these scenes in question featured a letter being carried away by the wind. The scenery depicted in the midst of the lone pieces of paper gliding through the air is enough to make me pinch myself. The dichotomy between the 19th Century architecture and the 21st Century design between the scenes was well done. The KyoAni team did an amazing job. The music and sound was fantastic. There was a scene that stuck out for me where Violet stood outside the senseis house with Hodgins. A dog barked rather loud and Violet sort of raised her head slightly in that direction. Directly after that the kids in the yard began to laugh. I dont know why but this scene stook out for me. I was in awe of how natural it seemed. Also the OST was explosive in the sense that it completely reinforced the dramatic tone of relevant scenes. https://i.ibb.co/DkHqDmt/269sgg.jpg Kyoto Animation deserves every ounce of praise that they get for Violet Evergarden: The Movie. They have my gratitude. Final Thoughts TLDR Violet Evergarden: The Movie is a fantastic extension of the series that features a fulfilling conclusion to the titular protagonists character arc. This film builds upon the foundation that was laid by the original anime series and it illustrates how far Violet has come. Her journey to becoming a complete individual with complex feelings as she receives assistance by those who care for her along the way is a memorable one. It helps that the film is acoustically and visually stunning. There is intent and purpose within every frame. Emotionally compelling in every sense of the term. This movie will make you want to believe in love if you dont and it will make you hold more firmly to love if you do. Highly recommended.